Salute e Benessere
Are Women on the Frontline of Antimicrobial Resistance?
National Patient Survey of Women’s Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) and Prenatal Screening reveals women suffering from UTI concerned about immediate antibiotic prescribing and Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), especially during pregnancy.
The survey was commissioned by Forte Medical, the UK based SME working to revolutionise diagnosis and treatment for Urinary Tract Infection and prenatal screening.
Key survey results
92% of respondents reported urine spillage onto hands, clothes, toilet environment and container overflowing;
89% of pregnant women were prescribed an antibiotic when routine urine dip indicated UTI;
70% of women were prescribed an immediate antibiotic for UTI, based only on dipstick result;
60% of women were given Universal Container with 22mm diameter to collect urine;
49% of women were not asked for a guideline compliant midstream urine specimen;
11% of women were hospitalised during pregnancy, due to UTI.
“NICE Guidelines recommend that men with UTI have their urine cultured before an antibiotic is prescribed. Yet advice for women recommends an immediate antibiotic with culture taking place only if that medicine fails,”
reveals Giovanna Forte, CEO of Forte Medical the UK based HealthTech SME that commissioned the survey.
AMR is a growing problem in the UK and globally; it occurs when bacteria causing infections become resistant to the drugs usually used to treat them. There is little public awareness of the future impact AMR will have, when the most frequent but incapacitating infections such as UTI will fail to become treatable with common antibiotics.
A paper published by the Journal of Medicine Surgery and Public Health (April 2024) states:
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a critical global health issue driven by
antibiotic misuse and overuse in various sectors, leading to the emergence of resistant microorganisms …
The lack of effective antibiotics threatens routine medical procedures and could lead to millions of deaths annually if left unchecked … The future outlook is not optimistic, as evidenced by research commissioned by the government in the United Kingdom. This study projected that by the year 2050, there might be approximately 10 million deaths annually attributed to illnesses that are resistant to antibiotics.
Uncomplicated infections and minor injuries could once again become life-threatening.
“A new antibiotic for UTI from pharmaceutical giant GSK has been recently approved for use by the FDA and MHRA,” adds Forte. “We applaud this new development but also urge clinicians to practice prevention over cure, for the sake of women’s health the world over.”
Respondents often described the collection process as messy, undignified, and poorly supported. People asked for wider pots, midstream-friendly designs, clear instructions, and less awkward collection setups. Beyond equipment, respondents wanted systematic use of accurate tests (e.g., lab culture and susceptibility) and faster turnaround, with fewer assumptions of UTI without confirmation.
Survey highlights: responses women on UTI
“This commentary confirms patient experiences around what we know: namely that 70% of female UTI patients – just under 10m women a year - are treated for a non-existent infection caused by false-positive urine dip and they are not happy about it. Between 34%-60% of women are prescribed antibiotics before the bacteria in urine has been identified, which does not happen to men. We have to ask: why are men protected from antibiotic over-use whilst women are prescribed antibiotics so freely as recommended, by the very authorities that should protect us from what has become a major global concern?”
Urine specimen contamination is largely responsible for false-positives because any bacteria or natural flora that wash from the skin into the sample with first-flush urine will create a mixed growth that can mask the problem bacteria that inform the diagnosis.
Highlights: pregnant respondents on UTI
Liquid gold: urine is full of information
For 20 years, Forte Medical has conducted R&D on world-first technology that captures precision urine specimens for specific areas of medicine. The company’s first evidence-based medical device Peezy Midstream eliminates the guesswork and contamination issues of current practice for diagnosing UTI and conducting diligent prenatal screening. Women no longer have to soil their hands, the collection vessel or the toilet to provide a diagnostic specimen that is integral to correct analysis, diagnosis and treatment.
Infection control
High numbers of women being given a narrow tube in which to collect midstream urine is clearly an issue. Over 90% reporting spills onto hands, toilet floor and clothes with overflowing container point to serious infection control and patient safety issues. Clinical guidelines relating to urine spillage in clinical settings list a strict infection control procedure with gloves, paper towels, disinfectant and more paper towels. Dealing with this infection hazard in everyday GP surgeries and hospital outpatients is impractical, time consuming and resource rich.
About Peezy Midstream
Designed by an NHS GP with input from patients and Clinicians, Peezy Midstream efficacy is supported by substantial clinical evidence and patient satisfaction from the UK and USA. It is a ground-breaking innovation for women’s routine health that ensures hygienic, accurate and dignified specimen collection, reducing contamination to as low as 0%.
Peezy Midstream will also set a new standard in digital, remote and at home diagnostics, by underpinning the integrity of the urine specimen, leading to more reliable analysis and targeted treatment. Peezy Midstream is also designed to remove risk of spills, splashing and promotes diligent hygiene for user and healthcare provider.
The current urine collection process involves the awkward and unreliable start-stop-start technique or requires the woman to insert a collection vessel into the urine stream in an attempt to capture the required midstream sample.
Both collection methods result in soiled hands and heightened risk of contamination. More importantly, neither guarantees a reliable specimen for analysis. NHS Patient UK advice even advocates using a
washed jam-jar if aiming into the tube or vessel is too difficult, creating risk of glucose contamination at point of collection and potential false-positive indication of diabetes, leading to unnecessary diagnostic blood tests.
Clinically Proven to Improve Outcomes for women and Healthcare Providers
Peezy Midstream delivers a substantial improvement in clinical standards:
Cost savings and seamless NHS Integration
A GP trial of Peezy Midstream reported up to 66% saving on lab processing costs . The device captures a gold-standard midstream sample into a lab compatible
10ml tube, eliminating risk of post-sample contamination and the need for decanting either at lab or point of care frontline. Paper available for scrutiny.
Full survey results will be made available to interested journalists, copyright acknowledged to Forte Medical Limited.
EDITORS’ NOTES
Peezy Midstream instructions for use: https://youtu.be/_oCxPa1S6T0?si=HX_8_EDAfnYlzCrm
NHS Supply Chain codes: Peezy Midstream standard: FUK85042 | Peezy Midstream Boric Acid: FUK85043
About Forte Medical
Forte Medical is a UK-based medical technology company dedicated to improving specimen collection and diagnostic accuracy across primary and secondary care. Its mission is to reduce misdiagnosis and enhance clinical efficiency through innovative, patient-centred solutions. Two new devices are in the pipeline:
Peezy First Stream to tackle early stage cancer diagnoses through first-void urine
Peezy Twin Stream for sports, evidential forensic and employer dope testing
Media Contact:
Giovanna Forte
CEO, Forte Medical
Email: giovanna.forte@forte-medical.com / Phone: 07595 600880
Website: forte-medical.co.uk
2321 Rosecrans Avenue. Suite 2200
90245 El Segundo Stati Uniti